Universal Classic Monsters- Limited Edition Collection 4K UHD Review
Classic Monsters and Classic Movies.
Universal previously released 2 Universal Monsters 4K sets. One featured “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” “The Invisible Man,” and “The Wolf Man” while the other contained “Creature From The Black Lagoon,” “The Bride Of Frankenstein,” “The Mummy” and “Phantom Of The Opera.” For this new limited edition release, the set contains all 8 of the above listed horror classics together.
To this day, 1931’s “Dracula” remains not only one of the best Dracula movies, but it’s also one of the best vampire movies. Few performances in horror history are as iconic as Bela Lugosi as Dracula. If there was ever an actor born to play the role it was him. He brings such mystery, intrigue, and creepiness to the part of the bloodsucking villain. He elevates the already groundbreaking horror tale through and through.
“Frankenstein” is still the crown jewel of Universal monster movies. James Whale created a horror masterpiece about science, man playing God, and a misunderstood monster (expertly played by Boris Karloff). It’s also far and away the most consistent Universal Monster franchise which leads me to “The Bride Of Frankenstein.” It’s rare that a sequel is comparable to the original, but ‘Bride’ has always been held in high esteem. Yes, it obviously owes a lot to the original and Mary Shelley’s work, but the sequel has a unique tone that balances comedy, drama, and horror. It manages to tell its own original story and take the franchise in a different direction.
“The Mummy” can be a bit of a slog in spots and perhaps shows its age more than any of the other films in this set, but there’s an inherent eerie quality to this movie that grabs hold of you. Granted, Boris Karloff’s performance as the titular monster also goes a long way here as it remains the best on screen version of the monster.
It’s miraculous how ahead of its time “The Invisible Man.” The H.G. Wells adapted story of a mad scientist who becomes invisible and insane could have easily gone awry, but it works wonders thanks to the dazzling special effects and Claude Rains’ deranged performance.
“The Wolf Man” is a tragic horror story about a man (Larry Talbot) who becomes cursed by becoming a werewolf. The psychological exploration of Talbot (wonderfully played by Lon Chaney Jr.) not being able to control his transformation or indeed his life really gives the story more depth. Yes, this is a monster movie still and the werewolves are nothing if not vicious beasts, but like any good horror story, there’s more going on than mere thrills.
The 1943 version of “Phantom Of The Opera” isn’t one of the premiere versions, but it’s still quite the Hollywood production. The grandiose sets, the brilliant Technicolor, and Claude Rains as the Phantom are clear stand-outs here in this classic romantic tale of the titular Phantom and opera star Christine.
There’s a reason why the Jack Arnold directed “Creature From The Black Lagoon” has stood the test of time. It’s as good as it gets when it comes to classic horror. An iconic monster in the Gill-Man? Check. Exotic locals? Check. A unique jungle atmosphere for a horror film? Check. Thrilling sequences on land and underwater? Check.
In terms of the packaging, it is very reminiscent of Criterion’s Godzilla set. It’s an oversized book-style package that features original art on the front and back by Tristan Eaton. Housed within the set are 8 discs that are held into place in indented trays by snap holders. It can be difficult to remove the discs on the right side. Also included here is 38 pages of material that features “A Legacy Of Horror” and each film getting a blurb along with trivia, photos, lobby cards, stills, and cast member or crew bios. A Tristan Eaton bio closes out the written material. This set is an Amazon exclusive that is limited to just 5,500 copies.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.33:1 2160p for “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” ‘Invisible,’ and ‘Wolf’, 2.40:1 2160p for ‘Creature,’ ‘Phantom,’ ‘Bride,’ and ‘Mummy.’ How do they look? ‘Invisible’ and ‘Mummy’ fare the best here. I’ve seen some rough prints of both films over the years and it’s jaw dropping at how good the restorations are. ‘Phantom’ (the only film in color here) also looks incredibly vibrant. Really, all of the prints here are first rate.
Audio Tracks: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How do the films sound? There’s obviously noticeable sound defects given the age of the films, but these tracks are nothing short of satisfying.
Extras:
Digital Copies
Dracula- 1. 1931’s Spanish version of “Dracula.” 2. “The Road To Dracula” documentary. 3. “Lugosi: The Dark Prince”- Bela Lugosi featurette. 4. “Dracula: The Restoration” featurette. 5. “Dracula Archives”- Promo material. 6. Trailers for the 6 original Dracula films. 7. Monster Tracks trivia track 8. Alternate score by Philip Glass. 8. 2 commentary tracks. One by film historian David J. Skal and one by screenwriter Steve Haberman.
The Mummy- 1. Two commentary tracks. One by Rick Baker, Scott Essman, Steve Haberman, Bob Burns and Brent Armstrong and the other by film historian Paul M. Jensen. 2. “He Who Made Monsters: The Life And Art of Jack Pierce” featurette on the make-up artist. 3. “Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed”- A special on “The Mummy.” 4. “Unraveling The Legacy Of The Mummy”- A featurette on “The Mummy” (1999’s version is also touched on here). 5. “The Mummy Archives”- Slide show of lobby cards, stills and more. 6. “100 Years Of Universal: The Carl Laemmle Era” documentary.7. Trailers for all 5 original Mummy movies.
Frankenstein- 1. “Universal Horror” documentary film. 2. “Karloff: The Gentle Monster”- Boris Karloff featurette. 3. “The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made A Monster” featurette. 4. “Boo!: A Short Film” 5. “Frankenstein Archives” 6. Trailers for 7 Frankenstein films excluding “Son Of Frankenstein” for some reason. 7. “100 Years Of Universal: Restoring The Classics” 8. Monster Tracks trivia track. 9. 2 commentaries. One by film historian Rudy Behlmer and one by historian Sir Christopher Frayling.
The Bride Of Frankenstein- 1. “100 Years Of Restoring The Classics” (again) 2. “She’s Alive! Creating The Bride Of Frankenstein” featurette 3. “The Bride Of Frankenstein Archive” 4. Trailers for “The Bride Of Frankenstein,” “Frankenstein,” “The Ghost Of Frankenstein,” and “House Of Frankenstein.” 5. Commentary by Scott MacQueen
The Invisible Man- 1. Trailers for “The Invisible Man Returns,” “Invisible Agent” and “Abbott And Costello Meet The Invisible Man.” 2. Production photographs 3. “Now You See Him: The Invisible Man Revealed!” retrospective 4. “100 Years Of Universal: Unforgettable Characters” special 5. Commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer.
Phantom Of The Opera- 1. Production photographs 2. “100 Years Of Universal: The Lot” 3. The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked”- A great featurette on the various incarnations of ‘Phantom.’ 4. Theatrical trailer. 5. Commentary by film historian Scott MacQueen.
The Wolf Man- 1. “Monster By Moonlight”- Character featurette 2. “The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse To Modern Myth” bonus feature 3. “Pure In Heart: The Life And Legacy Of Lon Chaney Jr.” 4. “He Who Made Monsters: The Life And Art Of Jack Pierce” (again) 5. “The Wolf Man Archives” 6. Trailers for the 7 original films featuring The Wolf Man 7. “100 Years Of Universal: The Lot” (again). 8. Commentary by film historian Tom Weaver
Creature From The Black Lagoon- 1. “100 Years Of Universal: The Lot” 2. Production photographs 3. “Back To The Black Lagoon” about the film’s legacy 4. Trailers for all 3 Creature films 5. Commentary by film historian Tom Weaver
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